If You Give Cole a Cookie
by justinle415
Summary: Blackwall helps Cole experience eating food for the first time.


Skyhold glowed in the night, enjoying the company of the abundance of stars that dotted the sky. It had been a tiring day filled with work for everyone, but now all of the castle's inhabitants were able to relax and welcome the warming and energizing respite. Blackwall, smelling the alluring, scrumptious scent of cooking chicken, entered the jovial tavern. Laughter echoed across the tavern, accompanied by the ebullient song of the bard. "Finally," he said. "Food to help me kill more darkspawn."

Blackwall sat down and immediately leaned his elbow on the table and propped his head with his hand. Paradoxically, the lively joy of the tavern was soporific for him. He glanced around, scanning the room to find company.

"Blackwall, you're here. Tired, heavy eyes. Music pulling you to sleep. Mind drifting. 'All I want is a drink,'" Cole said, appearing from the shadowy corner.

Blackwall jumped a bit and looked up, feeling more awake. "You've got to stop with the whole coming-out-of-nowhere-and-reading-people's-mind thing."

"But it helps. It helps me help, and I-" Cole looked down at his stomach. "My stomach. Why does it cry for attention? It doesn't feel happy. It needs something."

Blackwall chuckled lightly, beckoning him to take a seat. "Cole… the things you say. You're probably just hungry."

"Hungry?" Cole said. He furrowed his eyebrows. "I have to actually eat?"

"Of course you do. You're more human now, so you've got to eat food."

"But I've never eaten before."

"Well, I suppose you will tonight for the first time."

Cole squints, looking in the distance, contemplating. "I suppose," he said. Blackwall smiled slightly. "What would you like to eat, Cole?"

"I don't know," Cole said. "I don't know what anything tastes like."

"Hm. Didn't think about that," Blackwall said. He paused and fiddled with his beard. "What about chicken? Everyone seems to enjoy that."

Cole shook his head. "But it hurts the chickens if I eat them," he said. Blackwall laughed heartily. "The chickens are already cooked. They don't feel anything."

"But they used to be alive. They used to feel. Now they don't feel because we eat them."

Blackwall put his hand to his chin and stared at the table. _And I thought everyone loved chicken. _Suddenly, he looked up with a bright expression. "Cookies. You must try cookies."

"Okay," Cole said, "as long as eating cookies hurts no one."

"Well," Blackwall said, snorting, "you might hurt yourself a bit if you eat too much of them, but other than that, it's harmless." He gestured at a serving lady. "Pardon me, we would like to have just cookies tonight."

"Oh," the lady said, "We don't have any tonight. I'm sorry. Would you care to eat anything else?"

"No, that's fine. Thank you," Blackwall said.

The woman smiled and walked away, and Cole frowned. "I guess I can't try them tonight."

"No worries. I know just the person to make us cookies."

Blackwall stood up and beckoned for Cole to follow him. Squeezing past a crowd of dancers, the two walked upstairs. Unable to resist the joyful music, Cole hummed along gleefully. _He's a good kid, _Blackwall thought to himself.

Blackwall approached a door around the corner and knocked lightly. "Sera, it's Blackwall."

Sera vigorously opened the door and leapt out. "Coryfishsticks-punching time?" she said, losing her footing and slipping. "Not smart, that. Stupid. Just stupid."

She energetically jumped right back up and patted herself down. "Beardy! Always good to see you, yeah? Still got all that hair on your face."

"Well," Blackwall said, "You've still got all that fuzz on your head."

She snorted. "Good one. Anyways, whatcha need? Need me to bust a flask filled with fire on myself to shoot some baddies?" She looked behind Blackwall and noticed Cole. "Oh, that _thing," _she said.

"Sera," Blackwall said, "He's a person, and he has a name."

"You mean a demon?" Sera said.

Cole frowned. "I'm not a demon. I am more of a human now."

"Yeah. Right," Sera said, "well, you can go be 'more human' over there. Far from me."

Blackwall nudged Sera's shoulder. "Come on. What happened to people being just people?"

"People _are_ just people. But he's not people. Get it?"

"He is a person. Anyways, Sera, we just need you to make some cookies for us."

"Why would I make a cookie for him? Gone mad, all of you."

Cole looked Sera in the eye. "But I've never had a cookie before."

"Go get them from somewhere else," she said. She turned to Blackwall. "Beardy, watch your back for his daggers, yeah?" She backed up and shut the door. The door's lock made a click.

Blackwall sighed and leaned his back against the door, facing Cole. "I am sorry, Cole. Sera's just distrustful at times. Maybe we can get some cookies tomorrow."

"Oh," Cole said, "that is fine. She doesn't like anything that doesn't make sense." He stared at the floor. "I just wonder what cookies are like now."

"I suppose you'll find out tomorrow." Blackwall smiled and nodded.

The music was no longer a spirited song but instead a slow, soft one. _Enchanter_, it was called. Blackwall and Cole headed towards the stairs.

"Blackwall?" Cole said, still looking down.

"What is it, Cole?" Blackwall looked up at him as they took steps down the stairs.

"You don't hate me like Sera does, do you?"

"Of course not, Cole. I may have been hard on you in the past, but you're a good kid. You're just trying to find yourself." Blackwall patted him on the back and said, "Let's head outside."

Unable to complete their quest for cookies, the two slid out of the crowded tavern. Out here, only light chatter filled the air. Blackwall strolled to the main hall's steps and sat down, and Cole followed suit, traipsing. It was a cool night, but Blackwall's heavy layer of clothing kept him comfortable warm.

Cole looked at a young couple in the distance, walking and holding hands. The woman, thin and elven, was laughing almost nervously, as if she was trying to force it. She walked closely to the man, often glancing at his face. The man, a tall, lanky human, stared off away from his companion, however, with his attention wandering. Cole shook his head.

"Why won't he look at me," Cole said, "the way he used to? Too much fear. I can't take it. Unloved. His eyes are wandering away from me. Why aren't they looking at me? Insecurity. Hopelessness. Why won't he understand?"

"Cole, what did I say about reading minds?" Blackwall said, shaking his head.

"But she needs help. She hurts because the one she cares for most doesn't care for her. She hurts because she needs him. She hurts because there's nothing she can do. Nothing."

"What do you mean?"

"Her lover – that man – doesn't love her back, and she knows. She knows there's another woman. Another woman who has stolen what she was supposed to own. But she is not entirely sure; that's the only thing stopping her from leaving him."

Cole pointed to a tall qunari woman in the distance. "She hurts because you love a dwarf," he said. "She never thought she'd envy a dwarf, especially one with an obsessive personality. Squish her like a grape, the qunari woman wishes."

"Cole, get out of her mind. Those are her private thoughts."

"I want to help. But how can we help? I don't know if there is a way, especially now that I can't make them forget me." Cole looked stared at his feet, defeated. His large hat's brim shadowed his face.

"You don't have to make them forget to help them. There is always a way. You just have to find it." Blackwall placed his hand on Cole's shoulder. "The world needs more of you, Cole. There are many who need help in the world, but most people simply choose to look the other way, pretending that there's nothing they can do. It's easier to close your eyes and remain passive, but it's not the right thing to do."

Cole looked up, smiling. "Thank you, Blackwall. You are a truly a good friend. I am glad to have joined the Inquisition. How should we help the elven woman?"

Blackwall smiled back. "You are one, as well," he said. "We can help her by confirming that he is unfaithful. It'll hurt her, yes, but she'll heal. She'll feel much less pain than she feels right now. As for the other woman, it's best for her to heal with time."

Cole nodded and stood up slowly. He marched up to the couple, standing in their way, and Blackwall followed him.

"Who are you?" the man said, crossing his arms and sighing in an annoyed manner. "Can you please move out of the way?"

"Your lover – or who you thought was your lover – is what you conjectured," Cole said. "He is unfaithful."

The woman looked down and covered her face with her hand. "What?" she said.

"What's this kid talking about?" the man said hurriedly, fidgeting his fingers. "I've never even seen him."

"You cheated," Cole said forcefully, stepping closer to the man. "You say you love her, but you proved that wrong by being with another woman - the woman, Linda, who you lied and said was your cousin." Cole took another step closer as the man backed away slowly. "You invited her over when you were alone two nights ago."

"Linda? She really is my cousin!" the man said. "What are you talking about?"

Stepping forward, Blackwall shook his head and glared at the man. "Give it up. Let that poor woman you claim to love know the truth, so she can leave your pitiful self."

The woman sobbed and somberly turned away, holding her arms close to her body. "I know they're right. You just haven't been the same. You're a liar. You're no good."

Angrily, the man stepped towards Cole and threw his fist directly at Cole's face. Cole caught his hand instantly. "You can't hurt me. You can't hurt anyone. Not anymore. Leave." Cole let go of his hand, and underneath his hat he stared piercingly into the man's eyes.

The man backed away quickly, holding his hands in front of him. "Okay, I don't care anymore. I did get involved with another a woman. Just leave me alone," he said. He turned and quickly scrambled away, panting.

Cole turned to face the woman and put a hand on her shoulder, emulating what Blackwall did to him earlier. "I'm sorry he hurt you," Cole said, "but now you are free. You can heal. Convalesce as you have before."

The woman wiped her tears with the back of her hands and faced Cole. Smiling feebly, she said, "Yes, I'm free now. I can move forward now. Thank you."

Blackwall nodded. "We're sorry this happened."

The woman shook her head. "I should have known," she said. "What are your names?"

Cole instinctively raised his hand and tried to make her forget who he was, but he put his hand down, remembering how he had lost the ability. "I am Cole," he said.

Blackwall bowed. "Blackwall."

The woman looked at each of their faces and smiled more strongly now, hands behind her back. "I must go now and have some time alone to think," she said, "but I am grateful for your help. I will remember you two." She bowed and dawdled away with enervated steps, fiddling her fingers.

Cole looked at the woman and smiled as she walked away. "She said she'll remember. I think I like that. It feels good. Better."

* * *

The two sat at the steps again, watching fireflies sleepily idle about in the fading, yawning night. Cole looked at Blackwall. "All of that made me forget that I was hungry," he said. "But now I've remembered, and it doesn't feel nice."

Josephine appeared from behind, holding a white box. "Hungry, you said? I was just about to get rid of these cookies that I was going to give to some nobles, but you can have them. No need to waste them, I suppose."

Cole grinned as he looked up. His face glowed, lit by the moon. "Cookies! That's exactly what we need. Thank you, Josephine."

Josephine held her hand to her mouth as she laughed. "You're welcome, Cole," she said, handing Cole the box of cookies. "Do enjoy them." She smiled and headed towards the main hall.

"Well," Blackwall said, chuckling lightly, "this is quite some luck. You have the honors of the first cookie."

Cole nodded and opened the box, grabbing a piece of cookie. He stared at it, analyzing and scrutinizing it, trying to see if it was in pain; it wasn't. Thus, he gladly brought the cookie to his mouth and took a bite. He closed his eyes as he chewed and focused on this new taste.

"What do you think?" Blackwall said. Hopefully, it met his expectations.

"It's sweet but a bit dry."

"Ah, just wait one moment." Blackwall stood up and entered the main hall. _He'll like this, I'm sure._

He later returned, holding a glass filled with white liquid. "Here's a glass of milk. You dip your cookie in it, wait a bit for the cookie to soften, and then eat it."

Cole reached and accidentally dropped his cookie into the glass of milk. "Oops."

Blackwall chuckled. "You know what? Even better. You can still eat it."

Cole hesitantly picked up the cookie from the glass of milk and put the entire cookie into his mouth. He chewed and once more closed his eyes to scrutinize the taste. "Much better."


End file.
